In 1978, there was an amazing disturbance within the Force, as if tens of millions of “Star Wars” fans suddenly cried out in terror and altered the channel.
Within the annals of network broadcast television few programs have withstood the teasing, ridicule and criticism of “The Star Wars Holiday Special,” that infamous 1978 show that featured several “Star Wars” stars showcased in a silly program set on the Wookie homeworld meant to maintain George Lucas’s smash space fantasy on people’s minds until “The Empire Strikes Back” arrived two years later.
But except for the goofy family dynamics of Chewbacca and his Kashyyyk clan as they joyfully prepared for Life Day amid a handful of aging TV stars like Bea Arthur, Harvey Norman and Art Carney tossed into the combination, it is also remembered as the primary appearance of the fan-favorite bounty hunter Boba Fett, seen here in animated form helping Han and Chewie on a dangerous mission.
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To assist document the disaster that was “The Star Wars Holiday Special,” writer Steve Kozak’s 288-page tell-all book, “A Disturbance In The Force: The How and Why the Star Wars Holiday Special Happened,” was just published on Nov. 15. It examines the making of the two-hour fiasco and arrives alongside a brand new behind-the-scenes documentary coming to Blu-ray on Dec. 5. Directed by Jeremy Coons and Steve Kozak, the humorous film debuted this past spring at Austin’s SXSW Film Festival.
This entertaining title peels back the layers of the disco-era production to return readers to that weird decade when variety shows like “The Donny and Marie Show” and “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour” abounded. Its chapters are filled with fun anecdotes and interviews with key individuals related to this ill-fated offering.
Here’s the official synopsis:
“Bea Arthur as owner of Mos Eisley Cantina. Long scenes entirely of Wookies bleating at one another, without subtitles. Harvey Korman, in drag, as a four-armed Space Julia Child. Six minutes of Jefferson Starship performing for Art Carney and a bored Imperial Guard. Mark Hamill, fresh from his near-fatal motorcycle accident, slathered in pancake makeup. A salacious holographic burlesque from Diahann Carroll.
“Even by the standards of the Nineteen Seventies, even in comparison with Jar-Jar Binks, the legendary 1978 ‘Star Wars Holiday Special’ is a peerlessly cringeworthy pop-culture artifact. George Lucas, who completely disowned the production, reportedly has said, ‘If I had the time and a sledgehammer, I’d track down every copy of that show and smash it.’ Just how on earth did this thing ever see the sunshine of day?
“Kozak explains how the Special was one piece of a PR blitz undertaken by Lucas and his colleagues as they sought to guard the emerging franchise from hostile studio executives. He shows how, despite the involvement of a number of the most talented people within the business, creative differences between movie and tv writers led to a wildly uneven product. He gives entertaining accounts of the issues that plagued production, which included a ruinously expensive cantina set; the acrimonious departure of the director and Lucas himself; and a furious Grace Slick, just out of rehab, demanding to be included within the production.”
Since that first ignoble airing on CBS on Nov. 17, 1978, “The Star Wars Holiday Special” has been rightfully anointed with certified “so bad it’s good” status by forgiving fans who’ve been far kinder to the show within the digital age where it may be seen most anywhere online without spending a dime.
“A Disturbance within the Force: How and Why the Star Wars Holiday Special Happened” is obtainable now from Applause, while the Blu-ray documentary lands on digital and in stores on Dec. 5, 2023.